Reginald Joseph Watkins (1917 - 1942)

Born 8 Dec 1917 in Brunswick, Victoria, Australia

Ancestors

Died 1 Jul 1942 at age 24 in At Sea

Biography

Reg Watkins was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

Reg Watkins died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.

Reginald Joseph Watkins was born in Brunswick, VIC in 1917. Son of Reginald William and Emma Watkins, of Brunswick, Victoria; husband of Jean Watkins, of Brunswick.

Reg was active in the Salvation Army and played in Brunswick Citadel Band. Along with many other members of that band he enlisted in the Australian Army for overseas service at Royal Park, Melbourne, VIC on 22 Jul 1940 as a Private (VX37495). At the time he was single, a wood machinist and was living with his father in Collingwood, VIC.

He was posted to the 2/22nd Bn on 24 Jul 1940 as a bandsman. His wartime role was as a medical corpsman and stretcher bearer.

In 1940, he married Jean Duncanson in Victoria, Australia

On 11 Mar 1941 he entrained from Victoria to Sydney where he embarked on HMT "Katoomba" for Rabaul, New Britain in the Territory of New Guinea where he disembarked on 28 Mar 1941. His battalion was to form the core of Lark Force to defend the Territory.

After the Japanese invaded on 23 Jan 1942 he was captured on the Lassul Bay coast. He became a Prisoner of War, initially held at Rabaul. Japanese records show him as a medical corpsman attached to headquarters. He died on board the "Montevideo Maru" when it was torpedoed and sunk off the coast of the Philippines on 01 Jul 1942, en route from Rabaul to Hainan where he was destined for forced labour.

Sources

• Birth - Victoria BDM Birth index - Event: births; Registration number: 26730 / 1917; Family name: WATKINS; Given name(s): Regd Josh; Place of event: BRUNSWICK, VIC, Australia; Personal detail Mother's name: Emma Maud; Mother's family name at birth: LEONARD; Father's Name: Regd Wm

• WW2 Australian Army Service File - National Archives of Australia - WATKINS REGINALD JOSEPH : Service Number - VX37495 : Date of birth - 08 Dec 1917 : Place of birth - BRUNSWICK VIC : Place of enlistment - ROYAL PARK VIC : Next of Kin - WATKINS REGINALD - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=6139236

• Birth, Deaths and Marriages, Victoria Online Registry. Event: marriages; Registration number 20172 / 1940; Family name: WATKINS; Given name(s) Reginald Joseph; Spouse's family name: DUNCANSON; Spouse's given name(s) Jean. https://www.bdm.vic.gov.au/research-and-family-history/search-your-family-history

• Deaths On Active Service (2/22nd Band) - Family Notices (1945, November 3). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 20. Retrieved February 16, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12150970

• Roll of Honour - Australian War Memorial - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1695299

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2616450/reginald-joseph-watkins/